PESHAWAR: Students hailing from parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, tribal areas and Afghanistan have founded a society which will create awareness of human rights among youth in a unique way of observing international UN days and promoting their themes.

“We observed the UN special day to promote human rights and we want the world to know that we want peace as we are sick of the decade long violence. We want an end to violence,” said Toqeer Pinyala, president of the United Nations International Days Marking Society (UNIDAMS) formed by the students of Institute of Management Sciences, Peshawar.

The students held a seminar at the institute and later interacted with media at Peshawar Press Club to highlight the objectives of the society. The UN holds a special day to promote a human rights issue on March 24 each year. This day is called the “International Day for the Right to the Truth concerning Gross Human Rights Violations and for the Dignity of Victims”. Toqeer said that youth in this region was sick of violence and wanted peace like Flower Children – a movement which started back in 1960 in the US.

These young members, including youth from Afghanistan, said that they had observed the International Women’s Day on March 8 and it was perhaps for the first time that many young boys came to know about the importance of this day.

Fida Mohammad, a member of the society hailing from Khost, Afghanistan, said that he was born and raised in Pakistan and he would be creating awareness of peace between the two countries when he would return to his country.

Students show determination to work for peace, their political rights

“Youth are lazy. They don’t feel the responsibility of doing something good for the society. We want to make youth aware of the social problems, their rights and responsibilities,” said Hasan Khan, the general secretary of the UNIDAMS. He lamented the fact that youth did not take interest in what was happening around them. “Aliens won’t come and fix our problems, we have to do something about it,” he said.

Another youth, Abdullah Bangash, pointed out how their society would work to create awareness and bring unity by holding discourse about the issue of sectarianism which had caused so much violence and loss of lives in parts of the province and tribal areas.

Mohammad Ziaul Haq hailing from Bajaur Agency said that youth especially girls had suffered due to conflict and he wanted to raise voice for such voiceless through the society. “The youth in Fata don’t enjoy even basic rights like right to education and health,” he said.

Usman Mayar, another young member, said that youth needed to know about democracy and their political rights and social responsibility.

“We even want to field a youth candidate in the coming local government elections. Youth should know they can do it,” said Mr Mayar in his 20s.

Published in Dawn March 25th , 2015

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